


War of the Ashes

by Because_Of_Music



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fix-It, I didn't like the ending so I changed it, Not Canon Compliant, Past Cersei Lannister/Jaime Lannister, Sorry Not Sorry, Tyrion is still the most clever in the family, Valonqar Prophecy, jaime doesn't go back to cersei because it's stupid, my khaleesi deserved better, no Mad Queen, not all the minor relatioships survive the war, sorry but I thought it was better to specify, the Major Character death isn't for Brienne nor Jaime
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2020-09-30 22:42:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20454746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Because_Of_Music/pseuds/Because_Of_Music
Summary: The story is set after the Long Night: Sansa sends Brienne on a mission to recover some supplies from Last Heart. When she takes too long to return Jaime starts to worry."she is his heart and his honor, he is desperatly in love with his Lady Knight."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone, I'm back with another story, this time it is about Jaime and Brienne.  
This is the first chapter, I'm planning to make this about 9-10 chapters long, but it could grow a little; as always, if there's anything wrong in the grammar please let me know, I'm not a native speaker, but I try my best.
> 
> I'll leave you to the story then, hope you enjoy it!

Jaime keeps walking around the courtyard of Winterfell, his eyes darting every now and then to the gates,  
waiting for the tall figure of his favorite knight to show in the dim light of the dawn.  
He knows he has no reason to be so worried, she can take good care of herself, but still she, Podrik and the  
other men Sansa sent to Last Heart to look for survivors and supplies should be back by now.  
Something’s off, he can feel it, but nobody here cares about it, even his brother discarted his worries with a  
wave of his hand.  
-You’re being over protective of the woman you love, as always, dear brother. – Tyrion said, but Jaime  
would have none of it.  
-That damn keep is only a day away from here, they should have been back in three days, and it’s been a  
week! –  
The Hand of the queen just shrugged:  
-I’m sure they found survivors and they had to slow their pace, moreover it’s snowing, that probably  
slowed them down. -  
All he wanted to do was taking a horse and meet them halfway, just to put his worries to rest, but the truth  
is he is a guest in the North as long as he doesn’t try to leave: everytime he gets too close to the stables the  
guards on the walls get tense and exchange knowing looks that makes his blood boil with indignation.  
<< As if I haven’t risked my life to protect this damned place too. So much for gratitude. >>  
No matter how many times he proves himself to them, he will always be an oathbreaker: Brienne is the  
only one, save for Tyrion, who could see right through his facade. It sometimes amazes him how she can  
read everyone of his expressions: it took them long enough to finally end in each others arms, years of  
mutual respect that turned into longing and love. Saying goodbye got harder everytime, until he could not  
bear it anymore.  
He told himself he came north to protect Cersei and their child, but it was a lie: if the end was really upon  
them then he wanted to face it with Brienne by his side, if had to die then he wanted to go in her arms,  
with her incredible, sapphire eyes lulling him into the darkness.  
Knighting her and then leave after the feast was the best thing he could do, or so he thought, until it  
dawned on him that he didn’t want to be parted from her anymore: he is unworthy of her love, but she  
accepted him into her bed; everynight, as they kiss each other and their bodies move as one he knows he is  
lost to her: she is his heart and his honor, he is desperatly in love with his Lady Knight.

He is still walking in the yard like a caged lion and cursing himself under his breath.  
-I shouldn’t have let you go, wench, what’s taking you so long? –

Just a week ago they were entangled under the furs in their room and she brought the subject up.  
-I have to say that I still hate the north, but it could grow on me if I keep waking up with your beautiful,  
warm body next to mine, Ser Brienne. – he said with a smirk.  
She laughed softly as he trailed kisses on her pale neck and replied:  
-Back to titles, are we? Well, Ser Jaime, I’m afraid you’ll have to do without me for a day or two. Lady Sansa  
wants me to lead an expedition to Last Heart to gather what’s left of the supplies there. –  
-What? – he stopped in his track and stared back at her – why would she send you? You’re her sworn  
shield, wouldn’t you be leaving her without protection? –  
-No, I’m the only one that can go, since the rest of the army is resting; queen Daenerys wants to leave in a  
couple of weeks. – she stumbled a little across that information, knowing they never really talked about  
what was going to happen: they had tried to ignore it but the war for the Iron Throne was moving forward.  
– beside she will have you here, if anything happens while I’m gone. –  
-As if she would accept my protection at all. – Jaime huffed, but seeing the admonishing look she was giving  
him he gave in – fine, wench, but just because you asked nicely. –  
She kissed him quickly: -Thank you. –  
He put his left hand behind her nape and his right arm around her waist to keep her close, before gifting  
her with a devilish grin:  
-There are better ways of thanking me than a simple kiss, my lady. –  
She pretended to be thinking about it, then quickly replied:  
-Nothing springs to mind. –  
-Impossible woman. – he growled before pinning her beneath him – l’ll show you what happens to those  
who dare to defy me. –  
She was going to say something snarky, that playful spark in her eyes making her even more beautiful, but  
Jaime cut her off with his lips on hers.

These few days without her have been like torture: by now he is used to fall asleep in her arms, her heavy  
breathing lulling him to sleep, her warmth protecting him from the nightmares; more than that, he misses  
her: the way she smiles in the morning, caressing his face when they wake up, the way her eyes shine with  
mirth when they joke together, how her whole being lights up when she is sparring. Every time he watches  
her crush down her opponent on the training yard all he can think is << she is glorious, she was born for  
this. >>  
One of the sentries on the walls calls for the attention of his companions:  
-Someone’s approaching the gate! –  
The Lannister huffs in relief, but he freezes to the guard’s next words:  
-One man, and he looks wounded! –  
The men pass the message up, someone probably called for Sansa, since the lady of Winterfell appears  
beside him just as the gate is opened, and Jaime runs out, approaching the newcomer.

To his horror, the lion of Casterly Rock sees that the figure is Podrik: he is dragging his feet in the snow, his  
right hand pressed on his left shoulder.  
The young squire is covered in blood, leaving a visible trail on the ground, and he is alone.  
Jaime reaches him and drags him inside the walls:  
-Pod, what happened? Where are the others? –  
Jon, Daenerys, Tyrion and Sansa have gathered around them, while he can hear someone in the  
background calling for the maester.  
-Podrik, where is she? –  
The boy stumbles to the ground in tears.  
-Gone – he sobs before passing out – They’re all gone. -


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Once again, when she thought she could finally be happy it all got taken away from her"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there, I'm back with chapter number two, I hope you will enjoy it!  
As always, let me know if there are too many grammar error and I'll fix them.

When Samwell arrives and asks to take Podrik to his chambers, Jaime can’t find in himself the willpower to rise from the ground he is sitting on, even after everybody else has left. His gloves are spattered in blood, the squire’s blood, and his last words keep playing in his mind, making his heart as heavy as a stone.  
_Gone, they’re all gone_.

Suddenly, there is a warm hand on his shoulder, and shortly after, a rough voice says:  
-Come on, boy, you’ll freeze out here, we better get inside and check on that poor lad. Only the gods know what he’s been through. –  
Ser Davos Seaworth grabs him by the elbow and helps him to stand with surprising delicacy, before guiding him to the room where Podrik has been taken.  
The squire is laying on a small bed, he has already been given clean clothes and bandages, but he is still unconscious and pale, his face is a mask of terror even in his sleep; Gilly is cleaning his forehead with a soaked cloth, while in the next room Samwell is talking to Sansa, Jon and Tyrion.  
They all stand in a circle around the Tarly boy, the wind howling through the window making it difficult to understand the words coming from his mouth.  
-Pod has lost a lot of blood and is weak, if you want to talk with him I’m afraid you’ll have to wait. –  
-Do you know what happened to him? – asks Jon.  
The maester furrows his brows in concern: -It looks like he was stabbed multiple times, and he also dislocated his left shoulder and hit his head, my guess is he was attacked and took a bad fall while fighting back. –  
-When do you think he’ll wake up? We need to know what happened to the other people that were with him. – Tyrion interjects.  
Samwell looks even sadder now, like he hates what he is about to say.  
-My lord, the question is not when he’ll wake up, but rather if he will wake up. With that amount of blood lost and the injuries he suffered… there are not many who could survive it. The thing is: the more it takes for him to wake up, the more unlikely it becomes; all we can do now is wait and pray. –  
Sansa thanks him and he leaves the room, going back to Podrik’s bedside.

After a few seconds of heavy silence, Jaime mutters a few words to the room, staring at the ground.  
-This is your fault. – he looks directly at the Lady of Winterfell – You told them to go and now he is all that’s left. –  
Tyrion raise his hands in the air, approaching him, trying to soothe his fury, but there is no way to stop it: he can feel it pouring from him like a wave, this need for destruction. This has to be one of his nightmares, soon he will wake up in the warmth of their bed, his body anchored to hers, he will kiss her awake and lose himself in her, making sure she is alive and safe; << it is not a nightmare, she is gone and all I have left is nothing >> the pain in his chest is going to crack him open: he could prevent it, he should have, and yet he let her go and now...  
-Brother we do not know what happened yet, everything is possible… -  
-You heard Pod! They’re all gone! She’s.. – gods, he can’t even bring himself to say it, so he redirects his attention to Sansa, hissing like a snake – You’re the one to blame for this, and I swear I’ll make you pay. –  
Sansa stands still and watches him, her icy blue orbs fixated in his: if she feels any pain for his words she doesn’t show. How can she be so unmoved? The woman who saved her life years ago and has protected her ever since is most likely dead and she does not shed a single tear.  
-I see you still haven’t learned not to bite the hand that feeds you, Kingslayer. – comes a voice from behind him.  
Jaime spins around with a roar, to face the youngest daughter of Ned Stark, but she has already put a blade at his throat.  
One part of him wish for her to run him through so he could be done with it all, but the other part knows that if Brienne is somehow still alive and he dies like an idiot because he provoked the Hero of Winterfell she would probably follow him to the afterlife and beat the light out of him, so he backs away.  
-When Podrik wakes up we can ask him all we want to know, for now we can only wait. – Tyrion is saying to none in particular.  
-Didn’t you hear the maester? He might not wake up, and even if he does it might be too late for us to do anything. We need to leave now, if we really want to help and check for survivors. – his voice nearly brakes on the last word.  
This time is Jon that speaks to him: -We could try, but we don’t know where they have been attacked, and even if we knew it’s snowing heavily, the tracks will have vanished already. –  
Jaime heads for the door: - I don’t care if you’re all scared of a few snowflakes, I want to go so that’s what I will do. –  
Tyrion begs him to stop.  
-Jaime you’ll freeze to death out there on your own! –  
But he is tired of listening to them all: he knew something was wrong and now it might be too late, so he won’t waste another second.  
As soon as he walks out of the door something hit the back of his head, hard, and all fades to black.

Daenerys stands in her chamber, watching the flames without really seeing them, lost in her thoughts. This room is huge and full of comforts: some coloured pillows are discarded on the floor, where this morning Missandei braided her hair, there are some maps opened on the table, with different chess pieces to symbolize her army and Cersei’s one. She can spend hours watching King’s Landing on the map, thinking about all that happened to her family, all that happened to her ever since they were force to run away from home; her whole life she’s been dreaming about taking her rightful place in the world, hoping it would make her feel complete in the end. The truth is she feels more lonely day by day: this place should feel like home but it doesn’t, because she is not loved here, the people don’t know her, it's the opposite, they don’t trust her and her children; after Ser Jorah’s death she’s in pieces, emotionally destroyed, and the only one she would seek for comfort is avoiding her after discovering they share blood.  
Now more than ever she misses the solace of Drogo’s hugs and kisses: “Moon of my life” he used to call her, he looked so proud of her after she ate the whole horse’s heart; after a tremendous start they had managed to develop trust and respect towards one another.  
She had come to love him, and the foolish girl she was back then started to believe that she could be happy like this: riding with him and their son until the end of her life; she had been so wrong.  
<< Look how far I’ve come, my sun and stars. >> She has been underestimated and humiliated her whole life, they all have tried to take her power away, but she has never lost to them.  
After all the pain she decided to close her heart and never, ever let anyone else in: she barely survived losing Drogo, she could not bear the pain of losing anyone else: it all worked perfectly until she met Jon Snow.  
If the love for her former husband has been slowly built bit by bit, the one for Jon has been like a fire that is lit up in the night: one second it wasn’t there and the one after that it was, finally freeing her soul from the  
darkness. Once again, when she thought she could finally be happy it all got taken away from her.

"You are my queen, now and forever” he says every time she tries to face this topic with him, “I don’t want to be your queen” is her reply “I want to be with you, I love you.”, but he does not believe her.  
She should stop to try and reach him, and treat him as the ally he is, nothing more, but she can’t bring herself to turn off the desire and happiness in her chest every time she sees him.  
She can only hope sitting on the Iron Throne will be worth losing her heart forever.

After a few moments to recollect herself, the Mother of Dragons exits her room and heads for Lady Sansa’s solar: after the arrival of that poor squire this morning they haven’t been able to talk, but Daenerys wants to speak with her in private before the next council.  
As soon as she reaches the Lady’s door she knocks, gesturing for the guard that followed her here to wait outside; Sansa is sitting at her desk, writing a letter, but she covers it up and stands as Daenerys enters the room.  
-I was hoping we could have a moment, in private. – the queen says – I’m very sorry for what happened to your lady knight. –  
Sansa’s eyes soften and she nods.  
-I will miss her deeply. –  
-I only met her a couple of times but she seemed brave and loyal. –  
The Lady of Winterfell has a small, proud smile on her face:  
-Brienne was tough, she has been through so much and yet she managed to still see the good in every person she met.-  
-Even the Kingslayer. – Daenerys adds.  
-They share a history I did not know anything about, and as crazy as it sounds I think he cares about her too, so much that he travelled north on his own to fight by her side, knowing he could more likely die by our hand sooner than in battle. –  
-Like your brother Bran said, the things we do for love indeed. –  
They sit together, and Daenerys takes a deep breath:  
-I’m here because I’ve been thinking about what you said to me before the Long Night. – she raises a hand to stop Sansa from speaking –I've seen how the people here trust you and follow your guide, and after knowing what happened to you and your family, I think I can understand why you asked about the future of this land. –  
Daenerys gets up and walks to the window, admiring the view.  
-I’ve come to realize that the northerners will never accept me, for I am a stranger to them, so instead of a subject kingdom that keeps defying me I could have a powerful ally that helps me maintaining peace after the end of the war. –  
Sansa’s eyes widen as she realizes what the queen is saying.  
-If you accept to help me taking back the Iron Throne, then the North will be free to thrive under your guidance, as long as you agree to become allies. –  
-I don’t understand, your grace, Jon already promised you our men, why are you asking me now? –  
The Khaleesi smiles softly:  
-Because your brother is an amazing swordsman and a man of honour, but I know you are the one behind his victory in the Battle of The Bastards; besides, you know Cersei better than anyone here, save for her brothers and I’m not sure it is true. You know her weaknesses and her strengths: you can help me win this war without losing the life of innocent people. So, what do you say? –  
Sansa gets up from her seat and approaches Daenerys with the smallest smile curving up her lips.  
-I say, your grace, that you will always find an ally in the North. –

When Arya reaches him in the forge, Gendry is not sure he is happy to see her. He’s still embarrassed and hurt for what happened the night of the feast: he was drunk, happy to be alive and just given his new title, all he wanted to do was celebrate with her, instead his stupid brain worked on his own accord and made him propose.  
-You’re still mad at me? – she asks, emerging from the shadows.  
His pulse speeds up, and he must restrain himself from holding her.  
-I’m not mad, really. I know it’s too soon to ask something like that, but at the same time you rejecting me that way hurts pretty much. – he replies, turning back to his work.  
-Gendry, the reason I said no… -  
-You already told me, you don’t want to be a lady. -  
-Yes, that. But there is more I can’t talk you about. –  
He lets his hammer fall and spins around to face her:  
-Arya, what do you want from me? You came to me the night before the battle, you came to me again after the battle, looking for comfort and the gods knows what else, and I couldn’t refuse because against my better judgement I fell for you. The night of the feast I was drunk, far too lost in the ale to fully realize what I was asking, and the following day I tried to apologize but you avoided me, until now. I care about you but I  
won’t play this game anymore, so tell me, what is it that you want from me? –  
She tilts her head, take his face in her hands and kisses him.  
After a brief instant of shock Gendry kisses her back, holding her in his arms for as long as she will allow him to.  
Arya rests her forehead against his:  
-I’ve come to say goodbye. –  
He leans back:  
-You’re leaving? –  
She nods – I have unfinished business in King’s Landing. I’m going to kill the queen. –  
Gendry shakes his head: -Arya, you know what they say about the Mountain, even if you alone manage to defeat the whole Queensguard, there’s no way he will let you anywhere near her. –  
-I can beat him. – she states calmly.  
He is about to protest again but she shushes him with another kiss.  
-Nothing I’ll say can change your mind, right? – he sighs.  
-You know, in another life I would have married you gladly, and we could have travelled the world together.- she murmurs before kissing him again and vanishing into the thin air.

Just outside the forge Sandor Clegane is waiting for her, leaning against the wall.  
-Are you ready to leave now? –  
-Not yet, tomorrow I’ll talk with my sister and then we can go. –  
-You better not make me lose my chance to kill Gregor. – he growls moving past her, toward his chamber.

Jaime has been confined in Brienne’s room, their room, until he will calm down, or so said the guard outside the door when he tried to leave the room; Arya Stark knocked him out earlier, and Jon and Ser Davos have dragged him here, locking him up.  
In the past hours he has desperately wracked his brain to come up with a plan to escape, without success: every idea was worst than the previous one.  
He is seriously considering jumping out of the window and climb down when the door opens, revealing his brother:  
-Pod is awake. – is all he has to say for Jaime to run past him, toward the boy’s room.

The poor lad had seen better days: he looks drained but smiles weakly at his sight.  
-Ser Jaime. –  
-Podrik – he put his hand on the squire’s shoulder – how are you feeling? –  
-I’ve been better. – is the reply.  
As Sansa and Jon enter the room, the Lion of the Lannisters asks:  
-Do you remember what happened, boy? Do you remember what you said to me before passing out? – his voice is trembling slightly.  
Podrik’s eyes fill with tear as he nods his head, and Jaime can already feel a lump in his throat, as he begins to speak.  
-We were ambushed in the wood half a day from here. There were no survivors at Last Heart, and few supplies but we took it anyway; we would have arrived here sooner, but the way was blocked by a huge, fallen tree, so we had to find another path. We were setting camp near a small cliff when these men came out of the trees and attacked us. The poor two soldier that were with us were killed right away, so it wasu just Ser Brienne and me against the five of them. – Jaime feels a cold shiver running down his spine.

-One of them managed to grab me while I was distracted and stabbed me, more than once. She tried to help me, and we ended up with our back to the cliff: I was bleeding, hard. –  
Everyone in the room is holding their breath, they are all focused on Podrik, who is gesturing for Gilly to pass him his sword belt, before going on with the story.  
His voice keeps braking, so it's hard to understand what he’s saying.  
-She told me to jump, there was enough snow to soften the fall, and then I should have come here and ask for help. I refused to leave her, but she gave me her sword and took mine before pushing me over the edge. – he adds, withdrawing Oathkeeper -Ser Brienne said you would have understood. -  
Jaime grabs the hilt, and brings it close to his chest, the lump in his throat getting bigger.  
-I hit my head and when I woke up, I tried to climb up but fell again, injuring my shoulder. I walked for miles, hoping I was headed in the right direction and when I finally saw the towers of Winterfell, I was already beginning to lose consciousness again. –  
After a few moments of silence, Tyrion moves forward and grabs the boy’s hand: -Are you sure about the fate of your companions, Pod? –  
The lad starts crying openly and nods.  
-I heard her scream before I hit the ground. –  
Jaime thanks the gods he is sitting on a chair, or right now he would crumble to the ground, his legs giving in.  
Holding Oathkeeper to his heart he wonders what she meant when she said to her squire that he would understand her gesture: why would she give him her sword? She always said she was so used to it that fighting with any other would make her feel clumsy. Why would Brienne fight five opponents with a  
weapon that wasn’t her own?  
Then the thought hits him, as hard as a hammer << Because she knew there was no way out. She tried to save him instead of herself. >>  
_She said you would have understood. _  
He wants to weep.  
_It’s yours, it will always be yours._  
It was her way to say goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to reassure you that this angst in the beginning is necessary for the development of the story, but I promise it will get better, eventually ;)  
Have a good week, the next chapter will be up on Sunday.
> 
> Please let me know what you think with a comment or leave kudos, they're alway appreciated :D


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Cersei is digging her own grave (…) Let her destroy herself."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there!  
Here we are with another chapter.  
I'm so sorry I'm late, but it has been hard to write in the past week, I practically wrote this chapter three times before finding the right words.  
It is a little shorter than the previous one, but prepare yourself, because so many things are going to happen and you need to be ready to face them all!
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are very much appreciated!

  
When the battle for Winterfell and humanity had finally ended Jaime couldn’t believe he was still breathing: he was sure he was going to die, and all he could think about during those endless hours of fighting was keeping Brienne alive. She deserved to survive, to thrive and keep representing all that was good in this world, but mostly, he needed her to survive, because he knew he could not lose her and watch her beautiful, warm, sapphire eyes turn into the cold, icy blue of the wights.  
Fighting beside her triggered something new in him: the way they instinctively knew where the other was and in which direction they were going to turn next was amazing.  
They had each other’s back, and in the end even death itself could not tear them apart.  
  
<< It was in that moment that I fully realized how much I loved her. >> Jaime thinks, sitting on the bed.  
He is back in their room again: after his report Podrik was exhausted, so Sam made them all leave the room so the patient could rest.  
Tyrion asked if he wanted to drink with him, but Jaime wasn’t in the mood for company.  
He knows he needs to deal with the fact that she is probably gone, he must deal with the pain, that weight that is about to crush his heart.  
In this room her presence is almost tangible: all her things are neatly positioned, from her small trunk to her correspondence with Lord Selwyn on her desk. It feels like she will be coming through the door anytime now, watching him with the same awe as ever, still surprised that he is waiting for her, even after a whole month together.  
  
The first night he came in here he was quite drunk: he had to drink to gather up the courage to ask her about the redheaded man that seemed to eat her out with his eyes.  
She was so shy around that Tormund guy that he feared they shared a connection: what if he had found a way to her heart?  
  
He lies down and grabs her pillow, burying his face in it, smelling her perfume: it is faint, but it still lingers.  
  
After Jaime kissed her and bedded her, there was no way in the world he could stop: in between the furs she was shy at first, but she learned what he liked really fast, and he enjoyed discovering the things that gave her pleasure.  
The morning after the feast he woke up in panic, remembering he should not still be in a bed that wasn’t his own, Cersei and his children could be killed for this.  
When he slipped out of the furs, a sleepy voice behind him asked:  
-You’re leaving? -  
He turned to find his powerful, beautiful lady knight looking at him, and Jaime finally relaxed, realizing he was miles away from King’s Landings and its queen.  
Still he realized he had to exit the room and make sure no one saw him, to protect her reputation.  
-Do you want me to? I mean, if I don’t leave for my room now that everyone is still asleep, they’ll know about us. –  
She sat on the bed, covering her chest with the furs, and his heart stopped, taking in the sight: her hair was dishevelled, her lips were still swollen after the kisses they exchanged the previous night, and there were several marks he made with his teeth on her collarbone.  
Just watching those little signs on her skin made his heart roar with happiness and possession, but also belonging << mine >> he thought << even if just for one night but she’s been mine, and I am hers until my last breath. >>.  
Brienne shook her head and stared at him with her incredible sapphire eyes.  
-No, I don’t want you to leave. –  
-Brienne if we let anybody know, what will it be of your reputation? I've already been through this, we can hide it, I would understand. But please know that I cannot give you up. – he said, raising a hand to stop her reply.  
The Wench got out of the bed and reached him, standing naked before him. Her eyes were bluer than ever, and he felt like he would happily drawn in them.  
-No more hiding, Jaime. –  
He kissed her and they stumbled back to the furs.  
  
Jaime gets up to put a new log in the fire and then opens her trunk: there are a few tunics and her old armour, nothing more remains of the fierce warrior that he loves.  
He grabs one of her tunic: the one she was wearing the last time they were together, it actually got discarded on the floor the minute she walked past the door because he was eager to have her skin on his; he climbs back into the bed, hugging his knees and finally allows himself to cry.  
  
On the other side of Winterfell, in the council room, Daenerys, Jon and Sansa are discussing a strategy with Tyrion, Varys and Arya.  
-My little birds told me Cersei is suffocating the city: she paid the Golden Company with all the money she had left and some more from the Iron Bank, and now the people are starving due to the lack of supplies. Moreover, the mercenaries are acting like they own the place and the citizens are getting more and more tired of the situation. – says the eunuch.  
-We should hurry, then, we march on the capital and take it with the help of the people. – Daenerys comments.  
-It’s not that simple, your grace – Tyrion interjects – they still see you as a danger. If we march on the city right now, my sister will convince them you are the enemy and she’s the only one who can protect them. –  
-Moreover, the soldiers are still tired from the battle against the Night King and his army. – Sansa adds – Cersei is digging her own grave, your grace: she is starving her people and ignoring their pleas. Let her destroy herself. –  
-So, what is your suggestion, Lady Sansa? – asks the Dragon Queen.  
-Let the soldier rest, at least for another moon, in the meantime use Varys little birds to ignite the fury of the citizens of King’s Landing towards their queen and present yourself then as the saviour you are, promising food and clean water if they surrender. The second Cersei refuses to give up the Iron Throne she’ll lose all their support, and they will open you the gates. While you wait for the situation to be in your favour you can think about how to deal with the Golden Company. -  
Daenerys turns toward Tyrion and says:  
-What does my Lord Hand think of this strategy? –  
He nods his approval, a small smile growing on his lips:  
-I think it’s the best thing to do for now, the way I see it you’ve found a promising ally and counsellor in Lady Sansa, your grace. I know you’re eager to take back what’s yours, but you said it yourself, you don’t want to be queen of the ashes; this way we show the people what kind and generous queen you are. This way we break the wheel. -  
The Mother of Dragon looks at the other people in the room and sighs.  
-I guess it is settled, then. –  
  
There is a knock on the door, and Jaime enters the room.  
Everyone stares silently at him, while he clears his throat.  
-I came to ask if I can go and see the place of the ambush Podrik was talking about. – he says, his voice hoarse.  
-We cannot let you go on you own. – states Sansa softly: Tyrion knows how much she hates the whole Lannister family, so he’s grateful to her for the kindness she is showing to his brother, even after Jaime’s outburst.  
-I’ll go with him. – Ser Davos offers.  
-And I’ll go too. – Jon Snow adds – I want to see what kind of criminals we’re dealing with. –  
Jaime nods his gratitude and stares at Daenerys, waiting for her answer.  
They haven’t seen each other, after the Long Night, he made sure that his brother was as far as possible from the Mother of Dragon: she is a good ruler and has a gentle heart, but she can be merciless and cruel when it comes to those she considers enemies. Tyrion knows she has asked Varys about her father a couple of times, and the man has been as honest as possible, trying not to ruin the picture of Aerys she had in her mind, but the truth is everybody in Westeros has heard about the Mad King and his torturing methods; there are still people in the kingdom who remember the screams of the one he burned with wildfire, such as Jaime.  
He’s been trying to avoid something inevitable, Tyrion knows that: his queen and his brother will face the matter, eventually, and he will do all that is in his power to save his life; he won’t waste a single breath for Cersei, because her death is implied in the victory of Daenerys, but Jaime deserves to live, Jaime deserves to know what it feels like to be free from the chains he’s been carrying around ever since his birth. He destroyed himself completely for the love of his twin, he killed, led men into battle and defied the anger of Tywin only to please her.  
His brother wasn’t happy for most of his life, but that changed after he met the heir of Tarth: Tyrion could see it in his eyes when he came back to King’s Landing after their journey together, and even more clearly in the Dragonpit. He could understand why his brother fell in love with that tall, blond woman: she was honourable, strong, and she wasn’t afraid to call him out on his mistakes; after a lifetime of lies and games in court she was the ray of sunshine Jaime needed to get out of their sister’s clutches.  
Tyrion feels truly sorry for his brother: now that he had finally found love and a reason to live, she is gone; he knows that kind of pain, he’s been through it with Shae, and it never really goes away.  
Daenerys stares back at Jaime for a whole minute, before waving her hand slightly.  
-Yes, you can go. –  
The three men are out of the room before she can change her mind.  
  
They prepare a small baggage with food and blankets, then they get on their horse and ride out of the courtyard.  
-May I ask – Ser Davos says to Jaime – why do you want to visit the place, my lord? –  
-I want to see if there are any traces left on the ground, maybe I can understand what happened after Brienne pushed Podrik down the cliff. – his expression grows darker as they take the direction Pod mentioned during his report, his voice is almost a growl – then I want to find out who they are and kill them all, one by one. -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you are enjoying the story so far, if so, the please let me know with a comment; also, I'm curious to know if you have theory about what's going to happen next: if so, once again, please do tell. ;)
> 
> The next chapter will be up on monday, for real, this time; even sunday if I manage to write it properly by then.  
I hope you're having a nice week.
> 
> See you soon!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "-You need to live. – she had told him so many years ago, when he was waiting for the Stranger to come and get him after the lost of his right hand – You need to live and get revenge. –  
And that is exactly what Jaime will do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with another chapter, and as fashionably late as always!  
Sorry for making you wait, but I have been really busy, I hope the chapter makes it up for it.

  
<< I hate the fucking North >> is all Jaime can think while his horse plods in the snow; they have been marching for a few hours and he looks like the only one who’s freezing, neither Jon nor Ser Davos are complaining about the cold.  
His mind keeps darting back and forward between the present and the moments he has shared with Brienne after the Long Night; everyone in Winterfell knew they slept together and he happened to hear murmur at his back between soldiers, but Brienne seemed to not give a damn about their opinion, and he couldn’t be happier for that: he was free to love her in the light of day and, oh, he enjoyed it so much.  
He would push her hard against the wall of a dark hallway to kiss her every time he had the chance, and she would let him: by the time he was satiated her lips would be swollen and red, something that was even more irresistible to him. There were times they just laid in bed and talked about their lives until the darkest hours of the night: how was their childhood, what happened during the times they were apart, what happened in their lives before they met each other for the first time, and then there were times he needed solace, and Brienne was ready to shelter him in her arms.  
Cersei was wrong when she said they were two halves of the same soul: Brienne was the one that completed him, and he had been waiting for her long enough.  
One day, while he was walking in the yard, he saw her sparring alone.  
-Can I join you, Ser? -  
She nodded and he got closer, unsheathing Widow’s Wail: the moment their swords touched his blood began to boil and sing; they ended up panting, none of them able to outpace the other. Her eyes were so bright and she was panting so hard from the strain that Jaime could not resist the urge that took over him: he dragged her to the stables and locked themselves in one of the empty rooms for the servants, swallowed her protests with a kiss and started to touch her until all she could do was moaning his name softly.  
If he had known it was one of the last times he would have her beside him, he would have held her tighter.  
  
After everyone else leave the council room, Bran stops his sisters, asking them to stay.  
-You want to leave for the war. – he says, looking at Arya.  
Sansa turns quickly toward her younger sister, slightly surprised.  
-You said you spent all these years trying to get back home, and now you’re leaving again? –  
-I know that sounds absurd, but there is a thing I started and now I have to finish it. – Arya answers, squaring her shoulders and getting ready to argue.  
-The list. – states Bran.  
His sister stares at him and raises an eyebrow: - Should I be surprised that you know? –  
The Three Eyed Raven’s lips corners turn upward, and his tone is slightly amused as he replies: - Not really. –  
Sansa is more confused than ever and stares at her siblings with narrowed eyes; from what she has seen she knows Arya has been training with different weapons during all the years she spent away, and she probably has some more secrets that the Lady of Winterfell isn’t sure she wants to know about, but still Sansa was hoping they would finally come back home and start to rebuild their lives.  
-What kind of list is he talking about? – she interjects.  
-The list of people I blamed for our family’s destruction. A list of people I’ve killed, actually. There is one last name I need to cross. – Arya says, keeping her voice steady, and her warm eyes on her sister.  
-The Freys... it was you. – the little she wolf nods – and Cersei is the last name, isn’t she? – Sansa whispers.  
There is a moment of heavy silence, then Bran adds: - You can’t leave yet. –  
-But I can’t keep Sandor waiting. –  
-He can leave with the army, it won’t be long before they go. –  
Arya has seen and learned enough during her travels to know better than argue with her brother over this, so she nods and leaves the room, looking for the Hound.  
Sansa sighs, and turns toward her brother: - Do you need me to take you elsewhere? –  
He just shakes his head and stares into the fire burning in the heart.  
-She thought of you. Brienne, I mean. –  
The woman freezes, clasping the edge of the table.  
-She was sorry to leave you without protection, and she was hoping her squire would survive too, because he is young and doesn’t deserve to die like this. –  
Bran moves his eyes from the fire and stares at her.  
-I know you must show to the outside world that you’re strong, but it’s ok to miss her, you cared about her. –  
All Sansa can do is nod, the lump forming in her throat too big to let her speak; she excuses herself and retires to her rooms for the night, where she is finally free to grieve her friend in peace.  
  
  
The morning after, Jon Snow and Davos have to help Jaime off his horse when they reach the spot Pod has marked on their map.  
Since it gets dark earlier in winter, they spent the night in a small cave, sleeping close to each other and their horses to avoid freezing to death; the other two man would gladly sleep more but the golden Lion was restless and forced them to get up as soon as the sun rose in the sky.  
The cliff is only an hour away from where they slept, so when they reach it there’s enough light to notice the small pile of burnt bodies, even if it is half covered in snow.  
Jaime can hear his heart stopping at the sight: he must look too pale, for the other two men run to him as soon as their feet touch the ground.  
When he thinks he’ll be able to stand without his legs giving in he nods his thanks and walks slowly toward the charred bodies: there’s no way he could tell how many people there where.  
-Do you remember what the boy said about the ambush? – Jon asks, standing behind him.  
-Five men attacked them, the other two northern soldiers were the firsts to die, then one grabbed Podrik and stabbed him. Brienne gave him her sword and pushed him down the cliff. – Jaime is surprise that his voice didn’t break.  
Ser Davos gets closer and carefully moves a bit of snow away from the pile.  
-I see three skulls here. – he says gloomily.  
The man moves some more snow with his foot, and it hits something with a clang that echoes in the silence of the wood; Jon helps him to dig and after a few minutes they uncover a piece of blue metal, that makes Jaime’s last hope shatter. It was blackened by the fire, but it still has some of its original blaze in a few places untouched by the flames.  
-It looks like… - Snow murmurs.  
-A breast plate – is all Jaime can mutter – it’s her breast plate, I’d recognise that colour everywhere. -  
He’s going to throw up, he can feel his stomach, turning upside down from the pain and the horror of knowing one of those skulls belongs to her, so Jaime turns away and runs to the nearest tree, crouching and preparing himself for what’s to come.  
There is something in the snow, though, that capture his attention, so he calls his companions and together they start digging again, until two more bodies come to light.  
Both their throat are severed, the surprised still evident in their open eyes.  
-She didn’t go down without a fight. – Jaime whispers, pride springing in his chest and flooding his eyes with tears – she knew what the most likely outcome was, and still she fought with all she had. –  
Ser Davos puts a hand on his shoulder, and solemnly answers: -She was a remarkable woman, I have no doubt. –  
-We should go. – Jon interjects – there’s nothing more we can do here; the snow already erased every trace. –  
Jaime would gladly dig a grave for Brienne and the two soldiers, but the ground is far too hard, and the weather is getting worse, so they have to move.  
As they mount on the horses the Lion of Casterly Rock voices a question that has been gibing his brain ever since they discovered those two men near the three:  
-Why aren’t they burned as the other bodies? –  
-Probably they thought the wolves would eat them, or maybe they believed Podrik was dead and when they realized he was not, they simply left the two bodies here to run after him. –  
-Oh, come on, this far up North and they haven’t heard about the white walkers and the risk of leaving dead bodies in the ground without burning them? –  
-On the other hand, Ser Jaime, what would southern men do so far up North, as you say? – Ser Davos asks.  
-Nothing good. – is the only answer Jaime can give.  
  
  
After they get back, he has little time to think about it, because his brother is leaving soon, and he doesn’t want to waste the opportunity of enjoying his company: they drink together, drowning their sorrow, or they talk about this and that, never really discussing his broken heart.  
He hears that the Dragon Queen is growing restless, same as her creatures that circle the sky above Winterfell roaring their annoyance; she wants to leave for the capital, but she also wants to spare as many innocents as possible, and he is happy to hear that.  
Varys is using his little birds to stir up the revolution against Cersei, and it is working, apparently.  
Jaime isn’t surprise, his lovely sister has never once cared for the people she was ruling over, it seems only fair that this will be her doom now.  
He is always thinking about Brienne, and he finds himself missing her more every single day: their bed is cold now, and there is no more shelter for him when he is overcome by guilt, but he still rises every morning and lives because there is something he needs to do for her.  
-You need to live. – she had told him so many years ago, when he was waiting for the Stranger to come and get him after the lost of his right hand – You need to live and get revenge. –  
And that is exactly what Jaime will do.  
  
The day of the departure for King’s Landing, Tyrion finds himself in the council room, watching the map of Westeros as the other people in the room plan the trip; the Mother of Dragons want to move to Dragonstone first, using her fleet and then she wants to march on the capital. It is a good plan, but still, the sea is as clear as an open field, and there is no way to escape the grasp of an enemy if he decides to ambush you.  
He voices his perplexities and Daenerys immediately looks at him, waiting for his solution; it still amazes him how much she relies on her advisors, on him: other rulers, like his sister, will hear not a single opinion that diverges from their own, while this young woman is always ready to listen to the people around her, from the brilliant minds of her Hand and her Master of Whispers, to the head of her soldier and her loyal friends; Tyrion has no doubt that, if she learns to control her temper in the most difficult times, she will be a great ruler of the Seven Kingdoms.  
-On the ships we would be exposed, your grace. – he says, staring at Varys and asking for his support – I know that marching on land takes more time, but we would be able to better face any threat; moreover, Rhaegal is still recovering from the battle of the Long Night, and he wouldn’t be able to rest if we travel by sea. Maybe you could choose someone you trust and put them in charge of our fleet while we travel on Land, and we will all meet at Dragonstone. -  
His old friend hums his agreement and adds that, this way, he would be able to have more news about what’s happening inside the walls of King’s Landing.  
Daenerys nods, entrusting Grey Worm of the ships and heading out of the door with him and Missandei, Snow and Davos right after them.  
-My Lady, a word please. – Tyrion asks Sansa before she can leave the room.  
She smiles, and he can’t help but smile back.  
-What can I do for you, my Lord? –  
-I would like to ask shelter for my brother here in Winterfell, at least until the war has ended. – he says – our queen doesn’t want him anywhere near King’s Landing and, even if our reasons are very different, I agree with her. –  
The woman shakes her hand: - No need to ask, my Lord, Brienne already asked me if your brother could stay here as a guest long ago. –  
Tyrion can’t hide his relief and his surprise for the gesture; anticipating his question, Sansa says:  
-She imagined that he could not come with you as the army moved, and I suspect she hoped he would stay with her, if he knew he had my permission. –  
He sighs, feeling sorry for Jaime once again.  
-If that is all, I whish you a safe travel, my Lord, and I hope I’ll see you again after the end of the war. –  
-That would make me the luckiest man alive, lady Sansa. – Tyrion answers, grabbing her hand and placing a delicate kiss on her knuckles.  
  
The army leaves in the next hours: Grey Worm and Missandei takes a few Unsullied with them and march to White Harbour, where they’ll get on the ships and head for Dragonstone, while the rest of the Unsullied, the few Dothraki and the Northern soldiers starts to march south.  
During the first weeks on the road Jon avoids Daenerys completely, and when they are in the same room he never looks at her; she is trying not to force him to speak, but there is something he needs to know before they reach King’s Landing and the battle begins.  
One night, after Varys has finished reporting the excessive use of violence of the Golden Company on the population, and how his little birds are using it to stir up the revolution, they all move to exits her tent, but the Unsullied don’t let them.  
-Jon, I whish to speak with you, the rest of you can go. – He freezes on the spot and looks to his counsellor for help, but Daenerys has had enough of his attitude – Ser Davos, your presence won’t be necessary, this is a private conversation. –  
The old man nods and leaves, while Jon turns around to face her.  
-Dany, we’ve discussed this, more than once. – oh, she really did miss his voice.  
-No, you’ve decided for both of us, without even asking me what I wanted. Anyway, I won’t force you to love me the way I love you, I’m not a monster. – she says, getting closer to him – But, Jon, there is something I want you to know, and I’ve been waiting to tell you for a long time now. –  
She brings her hands to her stomach and his eyes widen in realization.  
-I’m pregnant. -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just here to remember you that kudos and comments are always welcome, please let me know what you think, and get ready for the next chapter!  
Have a nice week everyone :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Then we are going to take her back, with fire and blood if need be. "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there!  
I finally managed to update the new chapter. I'm so sorry it took me a while, but the truth is I had a test last week and another one two weeks from now, so it has been hard to find some time to write this story properly.
> 
> I hope you're still interested and want to know what will happen next.  
If you like the story please let me know with a comment and/ or kudos, thanks!

  
Sansa has tried to be patient, really, she has, but Jaime Lannister has started to follow her around Winterfell like a shadow, and nothing she says or does seems effective in stopping him from doing so.  
He is there when she leaves her room in the morning and spends the day at her side, save for the few moments she can have on her own in the Godswood.  
The first week she thought he was trying to show her he was not a burden, that he could be useful too in protecting the castle; the second week she told herself he was trying to find a new purpose now that Brienne was not around anymore, but when a whole moon has gone by and he’s still treading on her heels, the Lady of Winterfell snaps.  
-What could you possibly be up to, following me around like this, Ser Jaime? –  
He flinches a little, trying to hide the effect of her harsh tone on him.  
-I’m keeping a promise. – is all he mutters, staring her straight in the eyes.  
-A promise? –  
-To Brienne. I told her I would protect you in her absence, and I intend to keep my promise. I’ll be at your side until Podrick recovers, then yoi won’t have to see my face anymore, though I will always be around. –  
Sansa is quite shocked: Brienne must have trusted him deeply to ask him such a thing; she knows they were lovers, and back when Brienne told her about the nature of their relationship she could see why her sworn shield had fallen for this man: he is still handsome, after all these years. A bit battered, maybe, but still attractive, yet Sansa has learned not to trust men with pretty faces the hard way: the only one who treated her kindly didn’t show beauty on the outside, but his mind was so fascinating, it still is.  
She was afraid Brienne was going to get hurt, that Ser Jaime thought of her as a distraction during the absence of his twin, but he is still here and he’s mourning his lost love, she can see it in the way he has stopped glowing ever since she died.  
More importantly, he’s keeping his promise to her.  
<< What did he show you of himself Brienne, what made him worthy of your affection? >> she thinks.  
What she says instead, in a calmer voice, is:  
-Then I assume I must thank you, and her, for keeping me safe. –  
He nods, and turns to leave, since they’ve reached her chamber’s door.  
-Would you mind come in? There is something I’d like to show you. –  
  
  
-Are you sure? -  
Daenerys allows herself to show a little smile on her face.  
-I am. –  
Jon is only able to gape like a fish for a short while, before finding the courage to speak again.  
-But at the Dragonpit you said... –  
The Mother of Dragons grabs his hands and kisses the knuckles tenderly.  
-I know, I thought the witch had cursed me, that I could never give birth again. Apparently she was wrong, and I was wrong too. –  
He moves away from her and sits on a chair nearby.  
-How long have you known? –  
Daenerys can feel her heart sinking, lower and lower in despair; she was hoping this news would bring him closer, but he is putting as much distance as he can between them, he’s stubbornly staring at the ground and refuses to look her in the eyes.  
What is he so afraid of?  
All she wants is for him to hold her.  
-Three moons, not more; I wanted to be sure. Jon, I just wanted you to know, I’m not trying to force this situation on you. –  
After a few seconds of silence he nods, gets up and bows before leaving the tent: the moment he is out she allows herself to break and sits on the ground, trying to muffle her sobs with her hands.  
The following day they finally reach Dragonstone, her two children land on the beach to rest while the whole army gets settled in the massive keep.  
She is staring at the sea from the window of the map room, when her Hand rushes in; the Dragon Queen is thinking about the baby growing in her womb, about how much strong it will need to be to survive in this cruel world, made of blood, wars and desolation. She wants to make it a better place for this child, for every child.  
-Your grace. – Tyrion is out of breath – the fleet was attacked. –  
She quickly follows him to the throne room, where Grey Worm and a few unsullied are waiting for her: the man physically throws himself at her feet as soon as she enters the room, and she can’t help kneeling and hold him, understanding his need for comfort, that is reflected in her own heart.  
No words will suffice right now: Missandei is not here and the pain in his eyes can only mean one thing.  
  
  
Jaime is sitting at the table of Sansa’s solar, while she is looking for something in the next room.  
It is a moonless night, the darkness outside the windows could rivalry with the black one of Drogon’s scales, and the air is practically still; the lady of Winterfell finally heads back into the room where he is sitting, holding a furred cloak in her arms.  
-Brienne had this made for you, she said you kept complaining about the cold and stole hers. It was supposed to be a gift so she asked me if I could keep it momentarily. – Jaime gets up and smiles warily, trying it on.  
It is warm and fits perfectly, moreover it has a laces system that allows him to anchors it to his clothes, so he won’t need help to put it on one handed.  
He can feel tears forming in his eyes: his beautiful, wonderful woman was always thinking about making his live easier.  
-Thank you, my lady; I should go now, you must be tired, and I am keeping you awake. –  
The Lion of the Lannister bows his head and moves to get out; just as soon ad he reaches the door he can hear some voices shouting and some fighting: the noises get closer. Could this be the men that ambushed Brienne and Podrick in the woods? He backtracks inside the room and shields Sansa with his body, unsheathing Widow’s Wail.  
  
  
The queen and the head of the Unsullied hold each other for a brief moment, then Grey Worm gets back on his feet and she sends everybody out of the room, with the only exception of Varys and Tyrion.  
Daenerys isn’t sure she is ready to hear what happened, but she knows she has to be strong: her friend needs her now, she must be his rock and be ready to comfort him.  
-There was another fleet waiting for us near Claw Isle, they chased and attacked us. –  
-The ships of our fleet are among the fastest in the world, how could they reach you? - Lord Tyrion asks.  
-They didn’t. They used a weapon I’ve never seen. – the commander answers.  
-What kind of weapon? –  
-It looked like a giant crossbow. –  
The queen eyes widen, remembering the battle of the Goldroad: the Lannister forces had a similar thing and it hurt Drogon’s right wing. The fleet must be Cersei’s.  
Varys interjects:  
-How many crossbows did they have? -  
-I could not see much from afar, but I think they had many: at least one for every ship. –  
-Were these weapons effective? –  
Grey Worm nods:  
-They destroyed the entire fleet: we had to swim to get to the shore. –  
Daenerys raises her eyes and stares at him, her voice hoarse when she speaks.  
-What happened to Missandei? –  
-They captured her, she was swimming too slowly and I didn’t realize it. I thought she was ahead of me and already safe on the beach when I heard her scream. -  
He answers, hiding his face in his hands.  
She gets up and reaches him on the other side of the table, putting her hand on his shoulder. There is a furious light in her eyes, a rage that is barely controlled: Tyrion sees it in the tremors of her hands.  
-Then we are going to take her back, with fire and blood if need be. –  
  
  
After the first few screams there is silence again, but both Sansa and Jaime can hear the footsteps and mumbling of two people outside the door of the solar.  
He is about to tell the lady to hide in the next room when there is a bang on the door, and then a soldier announce they have a visitor.  
-He came rushing through the gates, my lady, and claims he must talk to ser Jaime immediately. –  
They exchange a rapid stare: could this be a trap? She seems to recognise the voice of the soldier, though it is weird for someone to come looking for him in Winterfell this late at night, unless this has something to do with his twin, and in that case neither of them is safe.  
-Oh, for fuck’s sakes, would you please move out of the fucking way? – comes another voice.  
-It’s Bronn. – Jaime answers the lady’s mute question.  
Sansa allows him in, and Jaime watches his old friend as he walks through the door.  
Of all the people he thought to meet this far up North he cannot believe that Bronn is standing right in front of him; the sellsword looks tired and pale. He also seems thinner than the last time Jaime saw him.  
-Lannister! Where is that tall lady of yours? – the man asks without letting him speak, nor acknowledging Sansa.  
-Bronn, what are you... –  
-She is in danger. –  
-Bronn she’s... –  
But the Blackwater’s knight won’t let him speak until he has said all they need to know.  
-I was offered a wife and castle, Riverrun, by your sister to kill both you and the dwarf. I said I wanted more, hoping to buy some time and warn you, but the queen said it was take it or leave it. I was getting out of the throne room when the old men told her they were ready for your blonde giant too. –  
Both Sansa and Jaime sit now, looking at him: the flames in the heart lightning up their pale faces.  
-They realized I had been listening and tried to have me killed by the guards. I managed to get out of the city but a group of men captured me after a few days, those fuckers. They left me tied up in a room of an Inn along the way, with one of them to keep an eye on me. As soon as I was able to knock him out I stole a horse and rushed here. –  
Sansa’s voice is frail, as she voices the question that is springing in Jaime’s mind.  
-So, Cersei’s plan all along was to hit Brienne? -  
Bronn nods, then asks:  
-Where is she, by the way? Isn’t she supposed to be you guard? –  
-She’s dead. – Jaime interjects, his heart sinking a little bit more every time he says the words.  
Bronn looks sincerely sorry as he puts a hand on his shoulder and squeezes.  
After a long moment of silence, the lady of Winterfell asks the sellsword to stay for the night and calls for a servant to show him to his room; Jaime stares into the fire, thinking about his last meeting with his twin.  
-Nobody leaves me. – she told him, and he left anyway, such was the power of the love he felt for Brienne: she opened his eyes and now he simply could not turn the other way.  
His sister must have known then that he was no longer her puppet, and in her eyes, taking Brienne away from him was the right punishment.  
<< At least now I know who to blame. >> he tells himself bitterly << At least now I know how to get revenge. >>  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, know that I've dropped the second "bomb" of this fic, what do you think will happen next?   
See you next time!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> " -There is nothing more I want to hear from you. – and then she’s out of the room, her hair and dress creating a storm of silver and blue. "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! I'm finally back.  
As always I apologize for making you wait, but I really want the story to have a logical storyiline, so it takes me a while to write it, considering I'm not a native speaker and surely I make a lot of grammar mistakes.  
I'm glad to see you like the story, and I'm hoping you'll stay with me until the end of the journey, because there are only four chapters left and I promise you, you have no idea what's coming.

In the hours following the meeting with Bronn, Sansa goes to her sister’s chamber, after making sure Ser Jaime’s door – Brienne’s door- is guarded, least he does something he might regret later, or tries to leave.  
Arya is still awake and opens the door soon after she knocks.  
-What happened? – the little she wolf asks, sensing something is wrong.  
-A friend of Jaime Lannister came from King’s Landing, Cersei paid him to kill her brothers. –  
-So much for a friend. –  
-Before leaving to get here he overheard her and her Hand discussing about Brienne, and how they were ready to deal with her. -  
At this Arya’s eyes widen, while Sansa finishes her update – he says he tried to worn us, but he got captured and as soon as he managed to get free he rushed North. – You’re telling me that the ambush was planned? –  
The lady of Winterfell nods – I know that Brann didn’t say it’s time to leave yet, but I’d like you to go anyway and complete the list. I want Cersei to die by the hand of our family, not Daenerys’ nor some northern soldier: Brienne deserves justice, she was family to me as much as you, Jon and Bran. –  
Arya’s lip corners turn upward -What about the Kingslayer? – she asks.  
-No doubt he’ll ask me to leave. – Sansa sighs – I’ll write to his brother to warn him, but I’m afraid there is nothing I can do to stop him, he would find a way to sneak out anyway. –  
-You can try and delay him enough for me to reach the capital without anyone knowing. –  
Sansa nods: – Yes, I can do that. Eventually I’ll have to write to Lord Selwyn too.-  
Arya stares into the fire as she answers:  
-Brienne told me once that she was all he had left of his family, and he loved her so much to let her be whoever she wanted to be. I think he’ll miss her deeply. –  
The lady of Winterfell walks to the door and opens it, getting out of the room to let her sister prepare for the journey.  
-We all will. -  
Later, in the first light of the morning, while Arya mounts on her horse, she feels the weight of a stare on her, so she turns towards the castle and finds her brother watching from a window.  
Bran only nods, she turns back and rushes through the gates.  
  
  
In the meantime, at Dragonstone, Daenerys is talking to her Hand during the war council.  
-Why would I ever wait to crush Cersei and destroy the Red Keep when I finally have an army and two grown dragons at the city’s gate? –  
She’s angry, her fury and impatience is visible in every single one of her gestures.  
-Your Grace, the Golden Company is not to be taken lightly, they are expert warriors and they could best us quickly on the field if we don’t plan the tiniest detail of our attack. Moreover, lady Sansa’s suggestion is still valid and will most likely give us the outcome we want. –  
-Exactly, your grace – the master of whispers interjects – the people in King’s Landing are starting to revolt against their queen, soon they’ll open the doors of the city to us. –  
-It will help us avoid a bloodshed, you will be saving innocent people from a violent death, they will remember it, your grace. – Ser Davos adds.  
The mother of Dragons turns her head toward Jon Snow:  
-What do you think? –  
They both look tired of speaking to one another, Tyrion notices, like they’re just keeping up some appearances, and he wonders what happened between them. Before the Long Night everything seemed fine, he and Davos were even discussing a wedding: how did they get from being inseparable to not even standing each other’s presence in the room?  
The former King in the North lowers his stare on the map of the city unrolled on the table:  
-They are right, we can’t defeat the Golden Company if we face them without taking advantage of the revolution of the citizens, our soldier are tired and some are still bruised from the Long Night, just like Rhegal. We can’t even besiege the city, because based on the description of the crossbows Grey Worm gave us, Cersei could probably wipe us out if she added them to the walls as well as the ships and we get too close. –  
-Each and everyone of you is here to help me find a solution to all these problems, not only to remind me of their existence! – she snaps, her voice echoing like a Dragon’s roar when it hits the ceiling.  
-Perhaps we could try and focus on one of these situations at the time, your grace – Varys says after a few seconds of silence – starting with how to deal with the fleet in Blackwater Bay. –  
-It must be destroyed, otherwise my sister will have a way out of the city. – lord Tyrion answers – perhaps we could ask for Yara Greyjoy’s help and support, your grace, I’m sure she will be more than willing to help us with her uncle. –  
-How many ships does her fleet have? – the onion knight asks him directly – does it outnumber the enemy’s? –  
-I’m afraid we are not that lucky, Ser Davos. – Varys interjects.  
-While she distracts them, I can destroy the crossbows and burn the fleet. – Daenerys says.  
Jon’s head snaps up, and he stares at her, concern in his eyes.  
-Your Grace, do you really think that’s wise? Those crossbows could kill your dragons, and you would fall with them if that happens. -  
-I’ve spent my whole life fighting with my people, and I won’t stop now. – she hisses.  
Probably trying to redirect her fury far away from his lord, Ser Davos goes on with his rationing:  
-Is there a way we can add more ships to the fleet? Do you have any more allies you could ask help to, your grace? The more ships face Euron’s fleet, the longer he will be exposed to the fire of your dragons, because he will be busy dealing with their attack. –  
The Dragon queen waits for her counsellors’ opinion, and when they both nod their assent she finally says:  
-I can call for Daario and the second sons, he’s ruling the free cities for me; when I left for Westeros he was building a fleet. I’m sure he will come. –  
The old men bows his head gracefully, and they are all dismissed.  
Tyrion observes his queen before taking his leave: she’s pale and looks tired, moreover he heard the servants say they hear her crying herself to sleep every night, earlier.  
Daenerys has lost a lot in this war: one of her children, her most loyal knight and her closest friend, no doubt she’s eager to save Missandei from his sister’s claws, but she also knows that the former slave will be kept alive, to be used as leverage when their army will show up at the city gates.  
There is no doubt the girl is still alive, but he can’t say for sure she’s well, and that is definitely what is making his queen worry.  
Jon Snow gets closer to her, whispering something that sound like a plea to his ears, and she rejects him coldly.  
-There is nothing more I want to hear from you. – and then she’s out of the room, her hair and dress creating a storm of silver and blue.  
Something surely happened between this two, and he’s going to find out what it is.  
  
During the weeks that followed the arrival of the dragon queen and the northern army to the gates of the Capital, the Lioness of Lannister has been visiting the black cells more often: she has enjoyed the madness of Ellaria so much, the smell of her daughters’ rotting bodies delicious to her own nose.  
She killed Myrcella for revenge, she said: well, she had a lesson about payback to learn.  
Cersei actually finds it comforting to know that the Sand Snake will die in that cell like the filthy rat she is.  
She is walking down the stairs to the cells, the sound of her steps the only thing to be heard beyond the cracking of the torchlights; Qyburn asked her earlier to meet him in the last cell, the one in the farthest corner of the Red Keep, hopefully he will be ready to complete the task she gave him.  
She did not bring Ser Gregor, he’s guarding the entrance to the dungeon, that’s why she worries when she hears a soft grunt coming from the dark corridor she’s heading to.  
-Qyburn? – she calls to the darkness.  
-In here, your grace. – he answers.  
She eventually reaches the door of the cell: the prisoner is lying on a small table, limbs tied up; Cersei stares at the body with a cruel, mocking smirk:  
-Are you finally done? –  
He nods.  
-Good, everything must be perfect, I have the feeling that our enemy won’t wait much longer to strike. –  
After she recruited the Golden Company the citizens have started to complain about everything, daring to raise their voices and rebel against her will: no doubt the dragon bitch is trying to exploit the situation to win the crown; if she and her advisors really thought they could beat her, well, they couldn’t be more wrong.  
-I have a meeting to attend to, if that is all then I’ll go- she says, extending her arm, he grabs her hand and kisses it lightly – come find me when you’re done here. –  
And with that she’s out of the room.  
After the sound of footsteps vanishes and there is not another soul in sight, Arya approaches the table, bewildered by the sight. Lowering her head to the prisoner’s ear, she whispers:  
-Brienne, can you hear me? -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry that this chapter was shorter than others, but I hope it was intriguing at least.  
Please remember that kudos and comments are always appreciated: I can't wait to hear your theories now.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Tyrion wonders if it wouldn’t be better for his brother to tell the truth about wanting revenge for Brienne’s death: he thinks the Dragon Queen would understand that feeling way better. "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! It took me a lot to write this chapter but I'm finally satisfied, so here it is!
> 
> PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE THE CHAPTER  
In this chapter there is a brief description of torture: I didn't linger on it too long, but still, if you (for any reason whatsoever) don't want to read that part I'll add two asterisks (or stars, I honestly do not know which one is the right word, sorry) at the beginning and at the end of that part, so that you can skip it if you so wish.  
I should also warn you that there is a particularly described scene at the end of the chapter, it begins with the words " The Mother of Dragons takes her childern up", and it is not too brutal, according to my standard, but still I feel better now that I told you. 
> 
> please, enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think with kudos and comments!

_-Brienne, can you hear me? – _  
“Yes” she wants to answer “please make this stop”.  
The pain that is coursing through her body is something she has never experienced before: it’s unbearable, she doesn’t even remember what it’s like not to be in pain, and she has come to beg the Stranger to take her if only to find a bit of relief.  
When she and Pod were fighting near the cliff and he was stabbed, she knew he wasn’t going to make it without immediate help, and her job was to buy him time.  
She gave him Oathkeeper and shoved him, going for the closer man next; she managed to kill the first two opponent and wound a third before he blew a strange powder in her face that made her rapidly loose consciousness.  
Brienne tried to fight the darkness with all her will, but it was pointless: her last thoughts before sinking into oblivion were for her father and Jaime, she never got to say how much she loves him, hopefully returning his sword would be enough to make him understand. Also, she begged the seven to protect Podrick and let him find the way to Winterfell: << he’s too young to die like this; he must live and protect Lady Sansa better than I ever did >>.  
She kept slipping in and out of consciousness on the way to King’s Landing, supposing that’s where she is now, and once they got to their destination, she was left tied up in a cell for about a day, giving her body time to finish off the effect of dizziness given by the powder.  
The next time she opened her eyes, Cersei Lannister was standing next to her, an evil grin on her beautiful face:  
-You and I have quite a lot to talk about, Lady Brienne. –  
Brienne could feel her heart pounding in her ears, louder and louder: Jaime once told her his sister was keen on using torture not just to get information, but for the pure pleasure of inflicting pain to another human being.  
-I guess Joffrey took after her, on that side. – he had said one night against her skin: Jaime couldn’t sleep, his remorse bigger than his heart, so she had comforted him the only way she knew, listening to him and holding him all the while.  
****** Cersei had her stripped and tied against the wall, her back exposed to the monster that was the queen’s guard: he was holding a whip.  
-The first thing I want from you is information about the army of that dragon bitch: how many of you did survive this mythical battle against the white walkers? –  
-You’ll get nothing from me. – Brienne answered.  
The queen chuckled, the sound sent shivers down the lady knight’s back.  
-I was hoping for you to answer that way, it will be fun to see how much your body and mind can take before breaking. Because make no mistake, lady Brienne, I’ll make sure that all your body can remember before you die is pain. –  
The first whiplash hit her on the shoulder, leaving a red mark.  
Brienne tried to take as much as she could without letting a single sound escape her mouth; after what felt like eons Cersei made the Mountain stop, and they left her there, trembling in the cold: she could feel the drops of blood running down her back.  
The queen surely wasn’t done with her:  
<< She will be back tomorrow, she won’t stop until I give up. >>  
The lady knight knew she was going to die in that cell, she just prayed she would not fail to protect the ones she loved before the Stranger came for her.  
They whipped her everyday, giving her body barely enough time to recover from the pain; she tried to be strong but on the third day she told Qyburn everything she knew about the army, which wasn’t much according to Cersei, so they whipped her the following day too.  
After that the Hand attended her wounds, using a strange, cold substance and feeding her a piece of bread once a day. It was the only connection she had with the outside world, her only way to tell the passing of time, tied into the darkness as she was.** ****  
Brienne couldn’t tell how much time had passed when she woke up tied to a table with Cersei by her side once again.  
By now all the memories of what happened are blurred into one another with blood and screams and pain; when the queen or her monster were digging daggers in her hands or whipping the sole of her feet she could almost feel Jaime’s voice, begging her to go away inside, but she couldn’t: what if she lost control over her mouth and started spilling information she did not want Cersei to have?  
Brienne only allowed herself to do that when she was sure to be alone, then she would just close her eyes and open them back in her room in Winterfell, with Jaime holding her tight and telling her how brave she was.  
She just wished she could see him one last time, tell him she loved him: instead, after days of fever and cold the Stranger is finally here and he is talking with Arya Stark’s voice.  
-Brienne, this is going to hurt but I need you to hold still and stay quiet. –  
She tries to nod but she isn’t sure her body is moving at all, and then there is something pressed against her collarbone and a cry of pain climbs its way up her throat.  
  
As the small boat he is on approaches the beaches of Dragonstone, Jaime can clearly see the small form of his brother waiting for him: Sansa wrote to him like she said she would, and the Lion of Lannisters is relieved to see there is just him and no one else.  
-Please, do not tell him why I’m headed there, I want to tell him in person. – Jaime asked the lady of Winterfell three weeks ago.  
The morning after Bronn’s visit he wanted to leave for King’s Landing right away, but Sansa stopped him.  
-What will you do? – she asked, her expression blank.  
-I’m not sure I get what you mean, my lady. –  
She sighed:  
-Ser Jaime, once you stand there in front of you sister, the woman who murdered the one you care about most, what will you do? –  
Her doubts were legitimate, because let’s face it, when it comes to Cersei he’s never been able to think and act straight, like a normal person would; she always manipulated him into doing what she couldn’t do on her own: fight battles, take castles, kill this enemy or that one, push the boy out of the window or he might tell about us... actually no, that was all him, he could choose a different path but he didn’t and he will never be sorry enough.  
-I don’t know, my lady, but I must go. I can be a useful resource: I know the city, I can help them take it. –  
Sansa scoffed him:  
-That’s all the revenge you want? Help the Dragon queen and her army to take the Iron Throne? –  
-It’s not like Cersei cares about much else, my lady. – he answered bitterly.  
In the end Sansa agreed to let him leave for the capital and write to his brother, she also arranged for a ship to wait for him in White Harbour.  
-The Kingroad would take you longer in this weather, and lord Tyrion wrote to me that they are preparing to attack any moments now. – she told him the day of his departure.  
Those word made Jaime rush on his way: he already had to wait two weeks to reach White Harbour because of the blizzard that hit the North, he wasn’t going to waste more precious time.  
Podrick was also there to say goodbye: thankfully the boy fully recovered from his wounds and was following Brienne’s footsteps and taking his right place as Sansa’s sworn sword. Jaime clasped his shoulder and squeezed it lightly before mounting on his horse:  
-I’m proud of you, kid, she would be too. –  
Now, after a whole week of travel he has finally reach his destination; Tyrion comes closer ad Jaime jumps out of the boat, his boots sinking in the soft, white sand.  
-What cruel design of the gods made you come here when you were safe in Winterfell, brother? – the lord Hand scowls.  
The older man leans down to hug his sibling and tells him everything that happened in the North ever since the army left: all Tyrion manages to do when he hears about the plan to kill Brienne is grabbing and squeezing his elbow sympathetically.  
His brother leads him inside the castle through the long staircase: the dragons are nowhere to be seen, but Jaime isn’t thrilled at the idea of meeting them up close, so it’s fine if they are not around; Tyrion’s voice draws him back to the present:  
-There are few soldiers left here, the army is on the mainland with Jon Snow and Ser Davos, our queen will meet you before we leave for the camp too. – he swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down– I’m sorry I wasn’t able to postpone this meeting longer, Jaime. –  
-No need to be sorry, Tyrion, it was only a matter of time. Still, if she decides that she wants me dead, I need you to promise me you won’t try to get in her way. – he answers, turning toward his brother.  
-You can’t ask that of me! Jaime, you were the only one who didn’t make me feel like a monster, you took care of me... –  
-I didn’t stop Cersei from mocking and spitting cursed word at you, though. –  
-And you think that’s enough sin to deserve death by Dragonfire? –  
-You know what I did, everybody knows; better people than me are rotting in the ground or were turned to ashes while I’m still breathing, poor excuse of a knight that I am. –  
-Did Brienne know all your sins? – Tyrion asked, interrupting him.  
-What does this have to do with her, now? –  
-Well, did she? –  
Jaime nods, incapable of thinking about her without feeling a soft pain in his chest and a lump in his throat.  
-She didn’t think you deserve to die at the trial, back in Winterfell.–  
-That was different. –  
-No, it was not. Doesn’t matter how hard you try to die on me brother, I won’t let you. – Tyrion smirks, glancing upward.  
Jaime smiles back and they resume the ascent.  
The Mother of Dragons looks paler than the last time he saw her: she is wearing a white fur that covers her gracious, petite figure, and her long, silver hair is entangled in a gorgeous braid, falling on her left shoulder; her eyes have grown cold and distant, they look dull in the dim light of this winter day.  
Jaime bows as Tyrion announce his presence, then she stares at him, a flick of anger passes on her face:  
-Why are you here, Kingslayer? –  
-I want to help. – he says, trying to keep his voice steady – this war will bring nothing more than destruction on the innocent people that live in the city. I you let me go inside I can talk Cersei into surrender, or open the gates if she doesn’t listen to me. –  
-No. – Daenerys answer firmly – I didn’t spare your life back then for you to stab me in the back the first chance you see, Kingslayer, I’m not my father. –  
<< I really hope so >> Jaime mutters to himself.  
-Your Grace... – his brother interjects.  
-I already said no, Lord Tyrion, don’t push it or I might take your brother’s life as I should have done not so many moons ago. - she heads for the door and says – You’re coming with us on the mainland, Jaime Lannister, I’m not letting you out of my sight. -  
  
As they arrive at the camp Daenerys takes them to her tent, Grew Worm moves closer to Jaime the second she tells him to, and Tyrion wonders if it wouldn’t be better for his brother to tell the truth about wanting revenge for Brienne’s death: he thinks the Dragon Queen would understand that feeling way better.  
Jon and Ser Davos enter right after them, the younger man looking just as tired as his queen; the dwarf still wonders what happened between this two: they had a fight, and that’s obvious, but he wanders about what. He can recognise the look in Snow’s eyes, it’s the same Jorah used to have, while looking at Daenerys; she used to look at him the same way, but now she doesn’t even want to talk to him if it’s not strictly necessary: this can only mean he managed to hurt her. Did he reject her? But why, since he’s obviously, madly in love with the queen?  
He’s still rummaging through these thoughts as the others in the room talks about battle strategy, when an Unsullied rushes in and calls for the Dragon Queen, speaking too quickly for him to understand a single word.  
She stands up straighter and turns toward her advisors and allies, while a terrible roar thunders from the sky:  
-Yara Greyjoy is here, Euron saw her ships and he’s attacking her. I’ll join the fight and make sure to wipe out the fleet. –  
-Maybe we should... – Jon Snow tries to say, but she burns him with one look and heads out to mount on her black child.  
  
The air in her face is inebriating, the rush of blood in her veins is pure fuel for her spirit: when she surfs the skies Daenerys can feel she was born to be like this, powerful and free. She reaches Blackwater Bay in few minutes, Yara’s fleet is already responding to the enemy’s: she can already see the damages of the giant crossbows, one of the ships is sinking fast.  
She starts burning Euron’s ships, moving out of the crossbows’ trajectory as fast as she can: she goes on and on until the air is clouded with smoke.  
The Mother of Dragons takes her children up, closer to the sun, and then moves back down to destroy more ships; the plan actually worked, she can’t believe it, there are few vessel left, but her ally can deal with them easily; she’s about to back out and fly back to her camp when it happens: a dart hits Rhaegal in the chest, and another one through his neck.  
He roars his pain, and tries to keep up with her and Drogon, she’s already turning around to fly back and shield him with his brother’s body, but another dart shot by one of the ships hits him and passes through his head, and she can see the life leaving his scaled, green body.  
All Daenerys can do is watching her child fall from the sky, helpless, her heart menacing to shatter from the pain: she can’t even say if the sound in her ears is her cry of despair or his dying breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must confess that writing the end of this chapter destroyed me: I litterally cried when I watched that CGI dragon fall into the water, and if you say you didn't, well, you're lying.  
I hope I left you hanging on the edge of your seats: see you when the next chapter comes out, please remember that kudos and comments are life!
> 
> Have a nice day folks!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All men must die, but we are not men.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally here!  
It took me almost a lifetime but I finally made it, see you next chapter!

When the Dragon Queen returns with only one of her precious creatures, Tyrion, who is standing with Varys, Jon Snow and Ser Davos outside her tent, immediately understands that something terrible must have happened; from where the army has set camp he could not see or hear the battle, but from the look on his queen’s face he braces himself for some terrible news: if she didn’t manage to destroy Euron’s fleet completely and they also lost another dragon there is no way to take the city and the Iron Throne.  
As she dismounts Drogon and walks toward them he can see that she is paler than ever, she is barely holding herself together.  
She stops in front of her Hand and says:  
-It’s done. – then walk inside the tent and leave them all outside.  
Varys nods and adds:  
-We need the people to be ready for the next step, I’ll give word to my little birds. –  
He leaves for his own tent, while Jon turns around and moves to follow his queen; Ser Davos puts a hand on his arm to stop him and shakes his head.  
-Perhaps we should let her rest, my lord, given the battle and what she’s lost. –  
Tyrion thinks that this man is nothing short of a good person, one of the few he has met during his life: Ser Davos has the ability to read the people around him, and even if he doesn’t always get their motives, he knows what to say to get to them.  
<< I hope Jon Snow knows how valuable you are, Ser Davos >> he thinks as the two men turn away and he prepares himself for the conversation he’s about to have with his queen.  
  
In her cell in the Red Keep, Brienne is lying in the corner of the room trying to get some rest as Arya told her to do. She is much stronger than before, her wounds are healing and the little she wolf is helping her gaining some weight stealing some extra food from the kitchens for her.  
When she asked why they would not simply escape from the tunnels below the Keep as Arya did when she was a child, she got an enigmatic answer: “I have a list to complete, and I made a promise to Sansa”.  
Moreover, the Stark girl added that Brienne’s absence would be immediately noticed after what Qyburn was supposed to do to her.  
The door opens with a creak and Arya slips in, a small candle in one hand and a bundle in the other: she puts it down on the ground slowly and encourages Brienne to open it.  
-It’s a golden armour. – the lady knight says softly.  
-This one should fit you. Put it on as quickly as you can, the headpiece too. –  
-But.. –  
The little she wolf doesn’t let her speak.  
-Brienne, Cersei will be here soon and I want you to do exactly what she tells you to do. – the answer to her questioning look is: – I mean it, even if she asks you to kill someone, even if she asks you to kill Qyburn. –  
Brienne’s eyes widen, but she nods and swallows her protest.  
-Cersei needs to think you will obey her every order. -  
The lady Knight knows she will never kill an innocent, not even to save her own life, but she will fight tooth and claw to get back to the people she loves, so she gets up and starts wearing the golden armour.  
  
The Mother of Dragons looks exhausted, as slumped in her chair as she is.  
Tyrion coughs lightly, to let his presence be known and then approaches as quietly as possible, sitting next to her.  
-Your grace, are you well? Shall I fetch a master? –  
She shakes her head and says to herself:  
-Looks like I’m destined to lose everyone I love. -  
He doesn’t know if the queen wants him to acknowledge her words, she only lets Missandei see this part of her, her vulnerable side, but right now her friend is not here, and she may be a great and fierce ruler, but she’s also a young woman with a broken heart.  
As he gets closer, Tyrion asks:  
-Why would you say that, your grace? –  
-Because it’s true: Ser Jorah gave his life for me, Missandei got captured and we don’t know if she’s still alive, another one of my children died today and Jon won’t even... – Daenerys catches herself before saying anything more.  
-If it is of any consolation, your grace, whatever is driving a wedge between the two of you is making him suffer as much as you, trust me. –  
She scoffs: – I doubt it, since he’s the one that pushed me away. –  
Tyrion wonders if the boy hit his head: he’s the cause of his own unhappiness and pines for his love from afar, pretty much like his own brother used to do with Brienne << two melodramatic idiots, that’s what they are >>.  
-Do you have any idea why he did that, your grace? –  
Daenerys looks up from her hands, intertwined in her lap; her amethyst eyes full of tears she is fighting to hold back: - I need your word, lord Tyrion, that you won’t tell anyone. –  
The Hand nods, concerned by the look of despair in her eyes.  
-Samwell Tarly found some old documents in the citadel regarding the marriage of Lyanna Stark and my brother, Rhaegar. – this information alone makes him go pale: all those years ago Robert started a war for a woman who didn’t even want him, the arrogant fool that he was.  
The queen is not done, though: she takes a deep breath and then adds – Lyanna Stark was Jon’s mother. –  
Tyrion grasp the edge of the table they’re sitting at: if this is true than he has a better claim to the Throne, and he is also her nephew, that’s why he pushed her away.  
Robert based his rebellion on the fact that Lyanna had been kidnapped and raped by the prince, the dwarf can see why Ned Stark lied: if Robert had known about Jon he would have killed him without remorse.  
-Are you worried that he might claim the throne? –  
-No, he says he doesn’t want to be king and I believe him, but I’d be a fool to think that the lords of Westeros won’t try to take the power away from me, the second they learn about his parentage.  
He wanted to tell the truth to the Stark girls and I managed to delay the moment talking him out of it, but I don’t know for how long. -  
Daenerys sighs, closing her eyes: – So now I’m half a world away from my reign, fighting a war I don’t know how to win, only to find out that the throne isn’t even mine to take. Sometimes the gods are cruel. -  
Tyrion shakes his head:  
-That is not true, your grace. – She looks at him, surprised. – the Iron Throne is yours to take if you want it, if you’re willing to take the burden it represents along with the crown, then no one will stop you. You are the Mother Of Dragons and the Breaker Of Chains, you are the queen that we chose and we will fight with you until the end. –  
Daenerys nods, thanking him, and smiles softly, then her eyes flashes as she says:  
-Tell the troops to prepare themselves, tomorrow we will show up at the city gates and ask Cersei to surrender: now that she has no fleet and no way to obtain more supplies she won’t last long on the Throne; Varys must use his little birds to spread the news that the rightful queen is here and ready to take her place.-  
Tyrion bows and leaves her to rest, then goes to find Varys: he wants to investigate what Jon told to the queen, because if it is true then they should be prepared for when the news comes out, he has no doubt it will, and who knows more secrets than the Master of Whispers himself?  
  
  
The light of the dawn projects the long shadows of Daenerys’ army on the gate of King’s Landing.  
The Mother of Dragon is standing before her soldiers on her white horse, her counsellors beside her.  
Brienne notices with joy that there are more men than she remembers, which means the number she gave Qyburn while the Mountain was torturing her were wrong, and Cersei isn’t prepared for the fight.  
She is standing on a wooden platform above the gate, behind Cersei, in her new golden armor; beside her Ser Gregor holds the chain of Missandei’s handcuffs.  
Brienne watches Cersei, her beautiful lips quirked in a smug little smile, while her eyes are focused on Tyrion, at the front of the army, and she thinks about all the pain this woman brought to the people she loves: to Jaime, to Sansa, but also to her own children << it doesn’t matter what it will cost me, if I’ll ever get the chance I’ll send you to the Seven Hells. >>  
The Hand of the Dragon Queen marches forward and stops short from the gate, all the crossbows on the walls pointing at him; he is clearly waiting for Qyburn, his counterpart, to deliver his message, but the gate remains closed, so he lift his stare and looks at his sister as he proclaims:  
-Queen Daenerys Stormborn demands your unconditional surrender, and the immediate release of Missandei of Nath.-  
Cersei gestures for Ser Gregor to move besides, and he brings Missandei with him, forcing her to stand closer to the end of the platform.  
Brienne can clearly see the tension of the Mother of Dragons when she lay eyes on her friend: the Commander of the Unsullied is tensed too; she admires the way he is holding himself together, if she was in his place she would not be able to watch Jaime chained and so close to danger and remain calm.  
The Lioness of Lannister turns her back to the army and moves closer to Missandei, placing her left hand in the crook of her elbow, wishpering softly:  
-If you have any last words, now is the time. –  
The heir of Tarth can feel her blood turning to ice, her instincts urging her forward, trying to warn someone or to protect the girl, but as she is about to move a hand encircles her wrist, and Qyburn hisses beside her:  
-Be still and quiet, she didn’t call for you. –  
Yesterday Cersei showed up in her cell, and tested her: Brienne obeyed every order, until it hit her, the truth of what was happening: Qyburn was supposed to turn her into the same thing that the Mountain was, a monster.  
Now, even if she wants to help, she will expose herself and Arya, who is posing as Qyburn ever since she found her in the Black Cells a few weeks ago; the rotting body of the real Qyburn is hidden in one of the tunnels under the Red Keep.  
Missandei looks Cersei in the eyes, and says, solemnly:  
-All men must die. – then she brings her elbow closer to her body, effectively trapping the queen’s hand; after that se looks briefly at Daenerys, while Cersei struggles to free herself from the grip – but we are not man. – and with that she jumps down from the platform, bringing the Lioness of Lannister with her.  
Brienne barely registers the screams around her, as everyone on the platform rushes to the rim: her intention is to help Missandei, but the Mountain is already lifting both women back on the wooden surface thanks to the chain linked to the prisoner’s handcuffs, so Cersei is the one that grabs her hand and uses her help to stand again.  
The Dragon Queen’s friend is put on her knees and Ser Gregor cuts her head off with a single blow; the commander of the Golden Company orders Qyburn to retreat inside the Red Keep, as Daenerys’ army roars beneath them.  
The last thing Brienne sees before the doors of the keep close behind her is the shape of the black dragon approaching in the distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can't wait to see what you think in the comment down below, oh and don't forget to leave kudos!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This war has lasted long enough, tonight we will celebrate the return of the rightful queen on the Iron Throne.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!  
I know it's been a while but this chapter, as you'll see, is really long; it was supposed to be even longer, but in the end it seemed better to split it in two parts.  
Originally, it was supposed to describe the battle for King's Landing with many details, but since english isn't my first Language I particularly suck at describing fights and battles with my small vocabulary; I decided it was better to describe small moments of the fight with as much details as possible, trying to also convey the frenzy of the moment.  
I hope you will like the chapter, anyway, and that you'll stick with me until the end.  
Enjoy your reading!

As soon as Missandei was put on her knees, Daenerys knew what was going to happen, still she didn’t close her eyes or turned her head away as Grey Worm did, because to her it would have meant leaving her dearest friend alone as she draw her last breath.  
When her body touched the ground, after a long moment of stillness in her mind and heart, rage started to consume every fibre of her being, and all she wanted to do was destroy the city, turn it to ashes and burn Cersei along with it; her desire for destruction was so strong that Drogon felt it and rushed to her side, roaring her pain to the sky.  
Right now, though, as he is approaching, Jon tugs on her arms and forces her to look at him, while the army behind them sways as a wave, all the soldiers preparing for battle.  
-Dany you can’t let Drogon come closer! You saw the crossbows too; they will kill him! –  
She breaks free from his grasp and glares at him: after all that happened, how dare he even talk to her? But even if she is mad at him, she knows he is right, if her last child comes any closer to the walls of King’s Landing he will be in danger.  
-I’ll meet you back at camp. – is her answer – tell the army to hold the attack for now. Then bring the council to camp, we must discuss our strategy. –  
Jon nods and turns his horse toward Ser Davos to deliver her orders.  
The Mother of Dragons moves past the army and forces her horse to a gallop, calling for her black-scaled son; he lands near her and lets her get on his back before launching himself in the sky again.  
  
Back at the camp Jaime is waiting for any news in a tent.  
He has been left in here ever since he reached the mainland with the Dragon Queen and his brother; he has been fed and Tyrion has come to update him once in a while, so he knows about the destruction of Euron’s fleet and the negotiation of this morning: Daenerys wants her friend back, and he is afraid to think about what she will do with that huge, black beast of hers if things go south.  
Suddenly he hears a roar and a huge shadow covers the tent, sending chills down his spine; Daenerys enters a few seconds later and eyes him angrily.  
-Your sister just killed my friend, beheading her in front of me and my army, laughing when I ordered her to surrender. –  
Jaime stops short from snorting, was she really expecting Cersei to just give up the Iron Throne because the odds of this war are against her?  
-This war has already taken too much from me, today King’s Landing will fall, and you sister will fall along with it. You said you wanted to help; this is your chance. –  
-I will help you, but I have one condition. –  
She rolls her eyes.  
-Why am I not surprised? –  
Jaime moves forward, slowly: - Your Grace I can’t let you kill my sister. –  
Daenerys scoffs, the anger in her amethyst eyes makes her so similar to her father that Jaime can almost hear his hateful word in his ears.  
_Burn them all_ , _burn them in their homes, burn them in their beds. _  
-You cannot _let_ me kill Cersei? Should I remind you that you’re talking to your queen, Kingslayer? –  
<< You are not the Queen: you are a Queen; this war is not over yet. >> Jaime wants to say, the old habit to defend his sister hard to forget sometimes; what he says instead, after biting back the witty remark is:  
\- She is with child, your Grace. The baby shouldn’t be punished for the sins of his mother. –  
The Dragon Queen blinks, her anger shifting for a second, before she gains focus once more.  
-Was my mother granted mercy when she was pregnant, and you drove a sword through my father’s back? No, she was forced to run and hide. You know I can’t afford to look weak and let you sister live. –  
The Lion of Lannister sighs, preparing himself for his imminent death due to the words he’s going to say.  
-Then you won’t get my help. –  
-If you do not give me the information I need, I will have no choice but take the city with my child together with my army. –  
Jaime can feel the colour draining from his face as she turns around to leave.  
-Your Grace, there are stashes of wildfire under the city, if you ignite one of them with your dragon’s breath there will be no city to rule at all, many innocents would die! - he says, grabbing her arm – I know you can’t let Cersei live, but at least do hold her trial until the baby is born, I am begging you! -.  
She turns back to him, hissing like a snake and breaking free from his grasp:  
-I should have known you would put your family above everything and everyone else. –  
He shakes his head: - Like I said, that child is an innocent too, just like the citizens of King’s Landing. –  
Daenerys looks him in the eyes: Jaime can se that she is barely holding herself together, after all she lost a friend and one of her precious beasts in the span of a couple of days.  
Her next words are almost a plea:  
-Then help me save them all. – shoulders slumped in defeat she adds – I will wait for the birth of the child before putting your sister on trial. –  
He bows slightly.  
-Thank you, your Grace. –  
  
Tyrion is waiting inside the Dragon Queen’s tent with Varys, Ser Davos, Jon Snow, Grey Worm and Yara Greyjoy when the woman herself enters with his brother.  
-The Kingslayer has agreed to share his knowledge of the city, so that we can avoid bloodshed. - she looks to all the men around her – this war has lasted long enough, tonight we will celebrate the return of the rightful queen on the Iron Throne. –  
  
Inside the Red Keep, Brienne is standing on the left side of the Iron Throne, witnessing Cersei’s war council, which basically consists in her waving off the concerns of the commander of the Golden Company about defending the city.  
-Your Grace, if we do not reinforce the gates of King’s Landing, the enemy will eventually break through: we’ve already lost most of the fleet, so we’re not totally protected on the sea front. –  
-What remains of the crew is now camping on the beach, so we are ready, should they decide to attack us there. Let them come, commander, they will be exactly where I want them to be: you only have to instruct your men to keep away from the places I marked on the map. –  
He clearly doesn’t like to be kept in the dark, so he presses on:  
-I will make sure to remind them, but they will clearly have questions: they are all expert warriors, and the places you marked on the map are strategic position any army would try to hold during a battle. Why would we leave them uncovered? -   
The Lioness keeps smiling behind her cup of wine:  
-Just trust me, they will get a pleasant surprise, once they’ll realize what they are standing on it will be too late. –  
Her collocutor looks more confused than before, but Brienne can feel chills down the spine as she realises what the woman really means.  
<< Wildfire. >>  
Her eyes, behind her helmet, search for Arya’s gaze, the subtle twitch of Qyburn hands a sign that she completely understood and is probably weighting the option they have right now: she surely would manage to kill Cersei in a heartbeat, but with the Mountain and the majority of the Golden Company still near the Keep they would never make it out of the city alive; she could try to use the little influence Qyburn has on the golden twin to dissuade her from this plan, but they probably decided it together before she took his place, so it would look suspicious to change his mind right now.  
Arya curses inwards: she’ll have to find one of Vary’s little birds and make sure her message will be delivered before tonight.  
  
  
  
-So we could use the tunnel under the Red Keep to sneak in and take it while we drive the Company’s attention away by attacking at the gates at the same time? – Ser Davos asks to Varys.  
Tyrion looks to his friend, waiting for his response; they have all been here for hours now: Daenerys wanted to evaluate every possible strategy at least thrice.  
They finally choose to attack the city on two fronts: the Northerners, the Dothraki and half of the Unsullied will attack at the city gates, keeping the Golden Company’s attention on them, while the other half will reach the beach with Yara Greyjoy and infiltrate themselves in the Red Keep: once the enemy will realise what happened they will be caught in a deathly grip.  
Varys nods, as Yara intervenes:  
-The only problem is that they surely expect an action from the sea: my uncle has a few ships still, and my men told me he is also patrolling the beach. –  
-Do you think he knows about the tunnels? – the Dragon Queen asks her.  
-Cersei does not know about their existence, so my guess is he doesn’t know either. – Jaime says.  
-You underestimate him, my lord, he pretends to be an idiot in order to fool the ones around him, but he is not. If he is patrolling the beach then he knows about the tunnel, whether he told your sister about it or not. –  
-We must send more men to the beach then – Tyrion states – in case Euron left some of his pirates in the tunnels. –  
The whole group agrees.  
-Though we must find a way to approach the land quietly: the last thing we need are the people on the remaining ships to notice us. – Ser Davos answers him.  
The Hand meets the gaze of the leader of the Ironborns:  
-My lady, I take it since your men know how to make a ship float, they also know what it takes to make it sink like a stone. –  
She smiled back at him smugly: -Are you really asking, my lord? –  
-Then I suggest we take advantage of the darkness that will soon fall, and your men could approach those ships with small boats in order to open a leak in the hull, then proceed to the beach with the Unsullied.  
In the meantime, the rest of the army will be attacking the city gates, so even if they will notice the boats approaching the beach none will come to help them. –  
-What about you and Drogon, your grace? – Jon asks the Queen.  
She briefly fixates her amethyst orbs into his black ones, then answers:  
-Drogon will not fight with us tonight. – they all look at her in shock, except for the Kingslayer: was it respect what was shining in his eyes just a few seconds ago? -I send him to meet Daario and his fleet and protect them during the last part of their journey: he should finally arrive here tomorrow; I hope that his arrive will be what needed to convince the last of our enemies to surrender. –  
It dawns on Jaime that she has probably planned this since the beginning, by the look on her face: he must recognise he underestimated her, she has quite a temper, but she is not the naïve girl he thought her to be, she may be more than a gracious figure with a mouth too wide for her own good. The woman he depicted would have attacked the city on the spot this morning, leading half of her army to certain death, or blowing up the whole capital, instead she is here, analysing every option and strategy with care.  
-Then who will be guiding the Dothraki? – Jon interrupts his thoughts.  
-I will. – she answers, as if daring him to say otherwise – I will ride by their side. –  
-On a horse? –Snow sounds disbelieving.  
Daenerys turns to her audience and says: - As everything is set I’d ask you all to leave, now. -  
Noticing the way her eyes are alight with fury, everyone around the table is fast to excuse himself and get out of the tent: Varys says he will be warning the citizens of what’s coming so that they can rise against Cersei while the army attacks, Yara Greyjoy simply states that she will get her men ready, and asks Grey Worm to go with her. Tyrion tells the Queen he will escort his brother back to his tent, asking to Ser Davos if he would like to keep them company: the old man doesn’t look too eager to leave his lord alone, but the man turns to look at him, nodding.  
When everybody is finally out, Jon approaches her, putting his hands up.  
-I don’t want to fight. –  
-You practically berated me with that tone; it is way beyond what you’re allowed to do, lord Jon. – she replies coldly.  
-Dany.. – he sighs.  
-Are we back to fist names bases? I don’t remember giving you my permission. –  
-I’m sorry. – he says, getting closer – I was shocked when you told me about the baby. –  
-Don’t. – Danerys says, effectively stopping him in his track – I don’t want to hear this, you had your chance and you made your choice. –  
-I’m not asking you to forgive me – he answers – I can live with the fact that I will never be able to hold you again, even if it kills me, but I can’t let you risk your life Dany. –  
She only stares at him, her eyes daring him to go on; he gets even closer: -Please, don’t ride with the Dothraki tonight. –  
She scoffs – So as long as I ride a dragon is fine, but you worry about me when I’m on horseback? –  
Jon takes her face between his hands, absently caressing her left cheek with his thumb when he responds:  
-Drogon protects you better than any armour would, besides, when you ride him you are up in the air, miles away from swords and axes and knives, and we both know you don’t know how to defend yourself with a weapon.–  
Daenerys sighs lightly, unconsciously leaning into his touch: -The Dothraki follow strength above all else, if I don’t go with them, they might even refuse to fight, or worse, leave. –  
-Then switch them with the Unsullied on the battlefield, and go with them to the beach alongside Yara, you would be in the Keep and on the Throne before the end of the night. –  
He kisses her then, unable to stand so close to her a moment longer without giving in to what his heart truly wants.  
-Whatever you choose, I beg you, don’t come to the city gates; if you don’t want to do it for me then do it for the child growing in your womb. –  
The queen’s eyes close as she nods; a second later the warmth of Jon’s hands on her face is gone and when she opens her eyes she is alone again.  
  
  
A few hours later Yara can see the smoke coming from different parts of the city, meaning the army is already attacking, while the citizen are rising within its walls, and it is time for her and her men to move.  
There is a small number of Northerners and Unsullied with her, though their commander decided to fight with the others at the gates. He is a strange man, that Grey Worm, but he is clearly devoted to the Dragon Queen.  
She signals for them to approach the five ships that survived the previous attack, the others with the soldier on it are left momentarily behind; she quietly observe the situation on the deck from larboard: there are a few men, but they look drunk enough not to notice the presence of the small boat.  
Her pirates work quickly and silently, opening various small leaks on the sides and bigger ones on the underside of the hulls, the same motion repeated by every team she assigned to each ship.  
When the operation is done, Yara orders to approach the beach; once they get to the campfire it is empty.  
All the warning her and her allies get are the scream of rage of her uncle’s men, coming at them from all directions << he fucking knew we were coming! >> she curses inwards.  
She starts to parry and lunge, cutting through the enemies with a cold fury, looking for her prey, the only man she’s here to kill slowly and painfully, enjoying every second of it.  
The Unsullied prove to be efficient killers, they form a circle, protecting each other’s back and killing every pirate that comes their way without breaking a sweat.  
After a few minutes of screams and blood and sand that feel like a lifetime, her uncle is the last of them standing: he has managed to kill a couple of Northerners fighters and one of her men too: he cut his throat from behind, and he is now standing a few inches away from her, grinning like a mad man.  
-How nice of you to pay me a visit, niece, still trying to avenge your old man? –  
She grips the pommel of her sword tighter but does not answer.  
-Too bad that is never going to happen. – he adds, his grin growing wider and wicker; Euron turns his back on them and runs for the entrance of the tunnels: they all hurry after him.  
When he gets in, he turns around and laughs, throwing something that looks like a small pitcher to the ceiling: after the crash there is a blinding green light and a sound closer to the one a thunder makes when it hits the ground.  
All around her the world is shaking: Yara looses her balance and lands face forward in the sand; she instinctively raises her arms to protect her head and tries to roll away quickly. As the sound and the dust recede, she glances toward the entrance of the tunnel, only to discover with horror that whatever her uncle did made it collapse.  
<< We’re stuck out here, fuck! >> they need to warn the others, and they need to do it now.  
  
  
In her tent, Daenerys is growing restless, same as her riders: she told them they will join the battle later, that they will be the final blow, the one needed to win the war.  
Half of them perished during the Long Night, her strategy brought them to death, and she is afraid she is losing their trust and respect. What will happen when she shows up on her white horse instead of Drogon to guide them into battle?  
<< How I miss you, my sun and stars, you would have known what to do. >>  
It is dark inside the tent: the only light is coming from the big brazier near her small bed. She put her hand on the embers, thinking about the beginning of her journey toward the Iron Throne: she was a scared little girl, beaten up by a cruel brother and married off at the first occasion so that he could gain an army; after Viserys died she thought she could finally be happy with her husband and the Khalasar, a baby on the way.  
But then she lost it all: Drogo and Rhaego, because of that witch.  
The same story repeated itself over and over: in Meereen and here in Westeros; when she is close to have it all she loses it.  
Has she underestimated her enemies? Did she choose to surround herself with people that are not brilliant enough to help her get the Iron Throne?  
Daenerys sighs, passing a hand through her long, silver hair: ever since Missandei was captured nobody braided it for her anymore, so now they just fall loose on her shoulders and back; she lowers her stare on her abdomen, where the baby bump is barely showing.  
She promised Jon she would not put herself in danger, that is true, but she can’t just hide in here and let her army win the war for her.  
_Dothraki follow strength above all _ Ser Jorah said to her years ago, while they were sailing to Astapor, so she won’t hide; she wears the small armour that Jon had commissioned for her for the Long Night and she refused to wear back then. Afterwards she quickly ties her hair in a simple, long braid and heads out.  
  
The Dragon Queen is about to mount on her horse when Tyrion reaches her, out of breath.  
-Your Grace! – he says, blinking when he realizes what she’s wearing – Lady Greyjoy and her men managed to reach the tunnels, but Euron destroyed the entrance. –  
-No help is coming from the inside then. – she whispers.  
He nods gravely – They are working as fast as they can to remove the debris, but it is going to take long. –  
Daenerys mounts and answers:  
-Then we will add the Dothraki to the charge. Are they ready to move? –  
-Yes, they are. Your Grace, do you think it’s wise for you to ride into battle with them? You never did, before. –  
-They are my blood riders and they’ll follow me everywhere. – she says, pinning him in place with her look.  
Tyrion only nods and moves out of the way as she urges her horse to a gallop.  
  
  
After the Mother of Dragon and her riders are gone the camp looks empty and silent, so quiet that it is possible to hear the noises of the battle in the distance.  
The rear base of the army is still here, of course, but they are silent too, waiting for news from the frontline.  
The Lord Hand is getting back to his tent to gather some liquid courage: he needs it to get through the night; there is still so much to do, because soon there will be injured soldier coming back to camp to be treated and the maester will surely be in need of a clean place to treat them.  
Jaime is in his tent, growing restless: he is so used to be leading the charge that the idea of waiting here eats him alive, Tyrion can see that clearly. He feels sorry for his brother, but also a bit relieved that this time he won’t be out there risking his life.  
When he enters, he sees that Varys is waiting for him, while Jaime paces the floor: they both look horrified.  
This is going to be terrible news; he can feel it in his bone.  
-One of my little birds was approached by an old man, he said.. – whatever he was about to share get lost in the loud bang that resonates through the land.  
The ground starts shaking and the three men rushes outside.  
In the distance they can see that a small portion of the city is gone, engulfed in green flames.  
His brother looks about to throw up, while Varys is paler than he’s ever seen him.  
Tyrion can only whisper, horrified: - Cersei found the stashes of wildfire. –  
  
Grey Worm is one of the closest to the gate when Daenerys and the Dothraki enters the city: their presence and their scream mix with the chaos of the battle.  
He thinks he’s never seen so many death, not even on the Battle for the Dawn: there is blood and mud everywhere, some men where set on fire by the enemy’s archers, and a lot of Northerners were killed by the giant crossbow that were actually destined to the dragon; one of those arrows landed near him while they were charging the gate, killing the men beside him.  
It will be hard to hold on for longer, the soldier they sent inside the Keep should have taken the fortress by now: they are outnumbered and tired from the previous war, while their enemy is well rested and has the upper hand.  
He pierces an enemy through his chest with his sword and turns quickly enough to see that his Queen has been unsaddled and is about to receive the final blow; he hurries to her and manages to parry the strike, putting himself between the man and her.  
The commander of the Unsullied has just managed to tear his head off when from their farthest left comes an explosion: green flames erupts from the ground and destroy everything in their path.  
Everything around them is collapsing; he helps Daenerys to stand and they run for the closest gate, while another part of the city goes up in flames.  
The buildings are tumbling down, debris all around them, the scorching heat of the fire at their back.  
-We won’t make it. – Daenerys says – I’m too heavy with this armour, I can’t run fast enough. –  
-I won’t leave you, Misha. – he replies half sustaining, half dragging her.  
-I need you to win this war. – she whispers in his ear – and if I no longer live, I need you to win it in my name. –  
The Mother of Dragon pushes him forward with all her strength, and he finds himself on the outside of the city as the gate collapses, trapping his Queen inside King’s Landing.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do you think will happen next? Let me know with a comment, and if you liked the chapter please remember that kudos are always appreciated!  
The next chapter is the one I've been dying to write ever since the beginning of this story: so finger crossed you'll love it as much ad I do.  
You may have also noticed that the tags of the story have changed a little, also the number of chapters: hopefully 12 will be enough to finish this story, if not they may even become 13.  
Have a great weekend!

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think about it, and if there's anything wrong in the tags just tell me and I'll correct it (I'm new around here, sorry).
> 
> Also, if you're interested in the story, I'm planning on updating once or twice a week, so I guess I'll see you soon! :)


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